（D）
As you move around your home, take a good look at the things you have．It’s likely that your living room will have a television set and a video, and your kitchen will have a washing machine and a microwave oven．Your bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need． You almost certainly own a car and possibly a home computer, holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week．
Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for．Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world．They feel that the long-hour work culture to make more money to buy more things is eating up their lives, leaving them very little time or energy for family or pastimes．Many are turning to other ways of living and downshifting_is one of them．
Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year．One couple who downshifted is Daniel and Liz．They used to work in central London．He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for an international bank．They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs （郊区）, leaving their two children with a nanny（保姆）．Most evenings Daniel wouldn’t get home until eight or nine o’clock, and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings．They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life was passing them by．
Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales．“I always wanted to have a farm here,” says Daniel, “and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift．It’s taken some getting used to, but it’s been worth it．We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays．However, I think it’s made us stronger as a family, and the children are a lot happier．”
Liz, however, is not quite sure．“I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours．I’m not really a country girl, but I suppose I’m gradually getting used to looking after the animals．One thing I do like, though, is being able to see more of my children．My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all．”
68．What do the first two paragraphs tell us?
A．People seldom work long hours to make money．      
B．People hardly buy more things than necessary．
C．People are sure everything they own is in the right place．
D．People realize more is involved in life than just making money．
69．Daniel agrees that the move to the farm __________．
A．was easy to organize               B．has improved family life
C．was extremely expensive           D．has been a total success
70．The underlined word "downshifting" in the second paragraph means ________．
A．repairing your car by yourself
B．spending money carefully
C．moving out to the countryside to live a simpler and better life
D．living in a big house in the suburbs and dining out once a week

（D）

As you move around your home, take a good look at the things you have．It’s likely that your living room will have a television set and a video, and your kitchen will have a washing machine and a microwave oven．Your bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need． You almost certainly own a car and possibly a home computer, holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week．

Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for．Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world．They feel that the long-hour work culture to make more money to buy more things is eating up their lives, leaving them very little time or energy for family or pastimes．Many are turning to other ways of living and downshifting_is one of them．

Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year．One couple who downshifted is Daniel and Liz．They used to work in central London．He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for an international bank．They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs （郊区）, leaving their two children with a nanny（保姆）．Most evenings Daniel wouldn’t get home until eight or nine o’clock, and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings．They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life was passing them by．

Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales．“I always wanted to have a farm here,” says Daniel, “and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift．It’s taken some getting used to, but it’s been worth it．We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays．However, I think it’s made us stronger as a family, and the children are a lot happier．”

Liz, however, is not quite sure．“I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours．I’m not really a country girl, but I suppose I’m gradually getting used to looking after the animals．One thing I do like, though, is being able to see more of my children．My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all．”

68．What do the first two paragraphs tell us?

A．People seldom work long hours to make money．      

B．People hardly buy more things than necessary．

C．People are sure everything they own is in the right place．

D．People realize more is involved in life than just making money．

69．Daniel agrees that the move to the farm __________．

A．was easy to organize               B．has improved family life

C．was extremely expensive           D．has been a total success

70．The underlined word "downshifting" in the second paragraph means ________．

A．repairing your car by yourself

B．spending money carefully

C．moving out to the countryside to live a simpler and better life

D．living in a big house in the suburbs and dining out once a week

（D）

As you move around your home, take a good look at the things you have．It’s likely that your living room will have a television set and a video, and your kitchen will have a washing machine and a microwave oven．Your bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need． You almost certainly own a car and possibly a home computer, holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week．

    Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for．Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world．They feel that the long-hour work culture to make more money to buy more things is eating up their lives, leaving them very little time or energy for family or pastimes．Many are turning to other ways of living and downshifting_is one of them．

    Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year．One couple who downshifted is Daniel and Liz．They used to work in central London．He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for an international bank．They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs （郊区）, leaving their two children with a nanny（保姆）．Most evenings Daniel wouldn’t get home until eight or nine o’clock, and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings．They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life was passing them by．

    Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales．“I always wanted to have a farm here,” says Daniel, “and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift．It’s taken some getting used to, but it’s been worth it．We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays．However, I think it’s made us stronger as a family, and the children are a lot happier．”

    Liz, however, is not quite sure．“I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours．I’m not really a country girl, but I suppose I’m gradually getting used to looking after the animals．One thing I do like, though, is being able to see more of my children．My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all．”

68．What do the first two paragraphs tell us?

       A．People seldom work long hours to make money．       

       B．People hardly buy more things than necessary．

       C．People are sure everything they own is in the right place．

       D．People realize more is involved in life than just making money．

69．Daniel agrees that the move to the farm __________．

       A．was easy to organize                B．has improved family life

       C．was extremely expensive           D．has been a total success

70．The underlined word "downshifting" in the second paragraph means ________．

       A．repairing your car by yourself

       B．spending money carefully

       C．moving out to the countryside to live a simpler and better life

       D．living in a big house in the suburbs and dining out once a week

Dear Ralph,

I’m a girl in Grade Two in senior middle school. In junior middle school I did very well in my studies. But when I entered senior middle school I began to __41__ the bitterness (苦涩) of failure.

A girl who was not as good as me in __42__ middle school surpassed (超过) me. My mother often scolds me. I can’t __43__ her, so when I return home I don’t want to talk to her. When I do a good job, she __44__ says, “Don’t be so __45__. Think of XXX, she did better than you.” Am I proud? __46__. I just want to give __47__ confidence. When I do something bad, she says, “What are you doing? Think of XXX, she is always better than you.” I had a(an) __48__talk with her. But she just said __49__, “When you grow up, you will know that I have done good for you.”

I can’t __50__ with her. I don’t want to go with her. What should I do?

Cinderella

Cinderella,

First analyze (分析) by yourself __51__ you have fallen behind. Is there something wrong with you, __52__ is the girl who surpassed you an outstanding person who is always at the __53__. And does it matter? Can you be number two and __54__ do well in exams and get into a good university?

To communicate, ask your __55__ about her own life. Did someone surpass her? If she regrets any experiences, she may hope you will realize her own __56__. This wish is common among __57__.

__58___, don’t blame that she should seek success. If she scolds but cannot help, she clearly knows study is important but does not know how to study__59__.

Do __60__ you think is best.

Dear Ralph,

I’m a girl in Grade Two in senior middle school. In junior middle school I did very well in my studies. But when I entered senior middle school I began to __41__ the bitterness (苦涩) of failure.

A girl who was not as good as me in __42__ middle school surpassed (超过) me. My mother often scolds me. I can’t __43__ her, so when I return home I don’t want to talk to her. When I do a good job, she __44__ says, “Don’t be so __45__. Think of XXX, she did better than you.” Am I proud? __46__. I just want to give __47__ confidence. When I do something bad, she says, “What are you doing? Think of XXX, she is always better than you.” I had a(an) __48__talk with her. But she just said __49__, “When you grow up, you will know that I have done good for you.”

I can’t __50__ with her. I don’t want to go with her. What should I do?

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Cinderella

Cinderella,

First analyze (分析) by yourself __51__ you have fallen behind. Is there something wrong with you, __52__ is the girl who surpassed you an outstanding person who is always at the __53__. And does it matter? Can you be number two and __54__ do well in exams and get into a good university?

To communicate, ask your __55__ about her own life. Did someone surpass her? If she regrets any experiences, she may hope you will realize her own __56__. This wish is common among __57__.

__58___, don’t blame that she should seek success. If she scolds but cannot help, she clearly knows study is important but does not know how to study__59__.

Do __60__ you think is best.

41. A. meet　　　　　　　　　 B. taste　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. understand　　　　　　　 D. see

42. A. junior　　　　　　　　 B. high　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. senior　　　　　　　　　　 D. super

43. A. trust　　　　　　　　　 B. realize　　　　　　　　　　 C. stand　　　　　　　　　　　 D. believe

44. A. always　　　　　　　 B. seldom　　　　　　　　　　 C. hardly　　　　　　　　　　 D. sometimes

45. A. satisfied　　　　　　　　　　 B. happy　　　　　　　　　　　 C. proud　　　　　　　　　　　 D. excited

46. A. Never　　　　　　　　 B. Yes　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. Hardly　　　　　　　　　　 D. Almost

47. A. myself　　　　　　　 B. me　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. herself　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. her

48. A. warm-hearted　　 B. open-hearted C. kind-hearted D. broken-hearted

49. A. warmly　　　　　　　 B. nervously　　　　　　　　 C. firmly　　　　　　　　　　 D. coldly

50. A. talk　　　　　　　　　　 B. communicate　　　　　 C. stay　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. sit

51. A. why　　　　　　　　　 B. when　　　　　　　　　　　 C. whether　　　　　　　　　 D. where

52. A. but　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. or　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. and　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. yet

53. A. head　　　　　　　　　 B. top　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. ceiling　　　　　　　　　　 D. front

54. A. ever　　　　　　　　　 B. still　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. either　　　　　　　　　　　 D. even

55. A. classmate　　　　　 B. fellow　　　　　　　　　　 C. teacher　　　　　　　　　　 D. mother

56. A. experience　　　　　 B. failure　　　　　　　　　　 C. dream　　　　　　　　　　 D. regret

57. A. students　　　　　　　　　　 B. people　　　　　　　　　　 C. teachers　　　　　　　　　 D. parents

58. A. However　　　　　　 B. But　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. Though　　　　　　　　　 D. And

59. A. fast　　　　　　　　　 B. busily　　　　　　　　　　　 C. effectively　　　　　　　 D. hard

60. A. all which　　　　　　 B. that　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. all what　　　　　　　　　 D. what